“We are in a cherished partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Archbishop Hosam Naoum and I first met in 2004, when he was a parish priest in Nablus on the West Bank. Our friendship has been integral to the partnership between our dioceses—which has roots in the 1990’s and early 2000’s before it was formalized about 15 years ago. It has comprised pilgrimages, visits, courses, exchanges, advocacy, a women’s conference, parish partnerships, and financial support for health care institutions operated by the Diocese of Jerusalem. In March, at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, I had the honour of naming +Hosam as a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa, to mark the close bonds of affection between our diocesan churches.”

The Right Reverend Dr. Shane A. D. Parker
Bishop of Ottawa